Plane Crash in Pomona Kills 2, Injures 1

Two men died and another suffered minor injuries Wednesday evening when their small private plane crashed in an open field near Lanterman state hospital in Pomona, authorities said.

The single-engine Comanche 250 crashed just before 8 p.m., ejecting the survivor from the plane’s cabin, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman Ed Osorio. The survivor, who was conscious after the crash, was flown by helicopter to County-USC Medical Center.

“He was ejected about 20 feet into a field,” Osorio said. “We spoke with him, and he said he doesn’t remember what happened. He says all he can remember is, one minute they were flying and the next minute he’s in this field.”

The 53-year-old man suffered injuries to his face and mouth, Osorio said.

“Amazingly, he wasn’t that badly injured,” Osorio said. “The injuries he did have were either from landing on the ground face first, or from going through one of the windows.”

The site of the crash is near an area bordered by Pomona, Walnut and Diamond Bar. The field where the plane went down is part of the Lanterman Developmental Center property.

The identities of the two men who died and the survivor were not available late Wednesday night.

Both of the deceased were sitting in the front of the plane’s cabin at the time of the crash, Osorio said. One man was described as being in his 30s, while the other was described as being in his 40s.

The crash will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.